Hope: Jasper's Tale
by lalalove-Rae
Summary: My take on Jasper's life just before he met Alice and what lead him to enter the diner. It's my first fic! It just popped into my head and I had to get it out. oneshot. cannon.


**Disclaimer: I am not, nor will I ever be the real Stephanie Meyer, or even a real author. This is just a product of my imagination; a little "extra" that I thought the scene was missing. Yes, you will recognize parts from the original text, especially the last line which is my favorite line from the entire series. **

a/n: This is my first fic!! But it's not the one I've been working on. That one is about Rosalie and Emmett with a Sleeping Beauty-esque plot and it's coming soon! This I wrote in one of my many bouts of insomnia. It's unbeta-ed so if you notice anything, let me know!

Hope- _noun:_the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best

_***_

I was weary. Weary of killing, weary of pain, and weary of my austere existence. Yet I knew nothing else. I left Peter and Charlotte because I could no longer stand to be in their presence. Even though I cared deeply for the pair, their emotions, their love was more than I could handle. It was more than their love for each other but also for the life they had found. They deserved to bask in each other, to enjoy what life had to offer. They had found peace, and I feared that I never would.

And so I lived in a daze, isolating myself from anything but necessary contact. I wandered aimlessly between towns and cities, only entering when I need to feed. I tried to minimize my depression by not feeding or even feeding less often, but after a century of instant gratification, I found denying my instincts to be easier said than done. As hard as I struggled, I could not go for very long without giving in and slaking my unholy bloodlust on some undeserving soul.

One lazy afternoon, I found myself in Philadelphia earlier than I anticipated, enjoying a walk in the rain. The pattern of the drops hitting my skin was very soothing, yet I knew that I should head inside soon if I didn't want to draw any unwanted attention. The rain might not have any effect on my perfect shell, but most humans would avoid it. And still, I stayed on the street, undecided. I had not fed in over a week and I knew that my control would be put to the ultimate test in the small shops that lined these particular streets.

I turned the corner and stopped dead in my tracks. It was as if I had been electrocuted, if it were possible for me to feel something as basic as electricity. One of the most powerful surges of emotion I had ever encountered had hit me like a sledgehammer, although I doubt that in reality it would do anything more than slide off my granite-like skin. Those woefully inadequate expressions are the closest I can get to the shock of feeling that now emulated out of a small diner.

It was love. Pure, unadulterated, all-consuming, passionate love and it was coming from an immortal.

Every one of my instincts screamed at me to prepare myself for a fight, the consequences of exposure be damned. Yet I did not move, I could not move. For despite my reservations, it intrigued me. I could not bring myself to want to destroy something so beautiful. I had only known hate and destruction for the past century, even the joy Peter and Charlotte now shared could not compare to such bliss. If my previous lifestyle was everything wrong in the world, this was everything right. I had to know how one person, one immortal could feel so wonderful. I would do almost anything for a constant stream of this.

Maybe if I talked to him or her explained my power, i could ask to share in it. Maybe I could even learn how to produce it for myself. But no, I am not worthy to possess it myself; I have done too much evil. I could only hope that he or she would not mind that I tag along, nothing better than a leech.

I stopped in the doorway of the diner to take in the scene, conflicting emotions running all over me. I could feel the curiosity of the patrons at my odd behavior, but that was only something I registered later, thinking back on the day. Nothing could break my fixation on her. At the counter, perched on a stool sat an angel, my angel, sent to guide me out of my hellish prison of a life.

I knew that, rationally, I should be preparing myself for an attack as my experiences told me that immortals lived only to kill and conquer. They did not tolerate anyone encroaching on their territory. However, the smile on her face encouraged me. I took one step inside, then another, captivated by her beauty both inside and out. Her soul radiated the most pure form of love imaginable and it was all for me. Trying to understand how someone so innocent could possibly be attracted to a monster such as myself, I almost lost her first words to me. I had done nothing to deserve it, and everything to not.

"You've kept me waiting a long time."

Those simple words were all it took to knock me out of my stupor. Vague memories from my human days resurfaced and I bowed my head in apology, "I'm sorry ma'am." I couldn't stand to disappoint her. Now that I had found my reason for existence, I would do anything and everything in my power to keep her at my side forever.

She held out her hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope.

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you think, even if you hated it!!! ily**


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